Creating Memories and Connecting
Khutbah Title: Creating Memories and Connecting
Delivered at the Islamic Community Center of Potomac and the United Islamic Center of Arizona on May 2025
By: Imam Didmar Faja
All praise is due to Allah. We praise Him, we seek His help, and we seek His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil of ourselves and the evil of our deeds. Whomever Allah guides, none can misguide; and whomever He allows to go astray, none can guide. I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah, alone without any partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad ﷺ is His servant and final
Messenger.
Our Creator mentiones in the Quran,
وَاذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ
“And remember the favor of Allah upon you— (Surah Aal-Imran, 3:103) Our beloved Prophet ﷺ said:
اﻟﺘﺤﺪث ﺑﻨﻌﻤﺔ ﷲ ﺷﻜﺮ وﺗﺮﻛﻬﺎ ﻛﻔﺮ
“Speaking about the blessings of Allah is gratitude, and not doing so is denial.” [Shu’ab al-Iman, Al-Bayhaqi; classified by many as an authentic (sahih) hadith]
Reflecting on or condition and that of our previeus generations
We live in a time when people are surrounded by others, yet feel deeply disconnected. Technological advancement is at an all-time high, yet spiritual satisfaction is at a low. We are earning more, but often lack the feeling of true blessing. We perform our prayers and fast, but still feel distant from our Creator.
Some may say: “Isn’t this just part of becoming an adult—going to university, starting a family, working hard?” Yes, that’s partially true. But when the Dunya takes over and dictates our lives, we start disconnecting from others and become empty. However, if we prioritise our social life by connecting with others and creating some positive memories, we can enjoy both worldly blessings and spiritual fulfillment.
Let us reflect on the lives of our elders. They lived simpler lives, yet their connection with Allah and His creation was deep and sincere. When they said “Bismillah,” they meant it. Their prayers were filled with focus and humility. Their relationships with neighbors and relatives were strong. They socialized, joked with wisdom, and carried their Islamic vales and culture with grace. Simplicity, proximity, and spiritual integrity shaped their lives and left behind powerful memories.
Why We Need to Connect and Value Our Memories
The following six points provide thoughtful and compelling answers
- We gain wisdom through experience and In the Quran, Allah (swt) informed us,
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثَىٰ وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا ۚ إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ
“O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another.” (Surah Al-Hujurat, 49:13)
The Qur’an repeatedly in several ayahs tells us to remember the stories of those whom Allah guided: And mention in the book Musa… And mention in the book Maryam… And mention in the book Ibrahim… And mention in the book Idris…
And mention in the book Ismail…ect.
- Memories provide emotional strength in
Allah comforts the believers through stories in the Qur’an that instill hope and patience.
- Memories help us avoid repeating mistakes coomitted in the Allah mentioned in the Quran,
قُلْ سِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَانظُرُوا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلُ ۚ كَانَ أَكْثَرُهُم مُّشْرِكِينَ
“Say, travel through the land and observe how was the end of those before. (Surah Ar-Rum, 30:42)
- Building connections help us fulfill Divine Commands such as silat al-rahm (maintaining family ties) and al-amr bi al-ma’ruf wa al-nahy an al-munkar (enjoining good and forbidding evil), and improves our character.
- It strengthens
Our words and actions ripple through others. Every connection has a consequence.
- Transferring Values to the Next Generation
Through shared stories and memories, we preserve our Islamic values.
How can we Combat a Robotic Lifestyle
The following four insightful points can help us overcome such an obsticle:
- Recognize and Reflect on Blessings of Allah bestowed on
Stop and think about what you have been given and how you are using it.
- Embrace
Don’t overcomplicate your life. Find joy in the small, meaningful moments.
- Connect with those around
Your presence in a certain place and people who surrond you is by Allah’s will. Utilise the apportnities to do good wherever you are. Dont let the thought of “I am not ment to be here” stop you for using the apportunities to anhance you life and do good deeds. Be active in your family and community. Share in people’s joy, and mourn with them in sorrow. The Prophet ﷺ deeply cared about everyone—even a woman whom the
community overlooked. When she passed away and he wasn’t informed, he later visited her grave and offered the Janazah prayer.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
من لم يهتم بأمر المسلمين فليس منهم
“Whoever does not concern himself with the affairs of the Muslims is not one of them.” (Al-Ṭabarānī, Al-Muʿjam al-Awsaṭ)
- Be present and
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was incredibly attentive to people. Imam al- Tirmidhi in his Shamāʾil al-Muhammadiyyah notes that Prophet ﷺ would divide his time between Allah, his family and himself. He would further
divide his time in two; for people and his personal matters. Also, in Adab Al-
Mufrad, Imam Al-Bukhari mentiones a narration “When he faced someone, he faced them completely, and when he turned away, he turned away completely. No eye has seen anyone like him, and no one will ever see anyone like him.” In his worship, the Prophet ﷺ didn’t was constently
present with Allah. He did not treat prayer as a burden. Rather, he described it as a source of inner peace:
وجعلت قرة عيني في الصلاة
“The coolness of my eyes has been placed in the prayer.” (Narrated by al-Nasā’ī and Ahmad).
Let us not reduce our worship to an obligation we “get over with,” but embrace it as a source of serenity and connection with Allah.
Conclusion
Dear brothers and sisters, to elevate our connection with our Creator, with each other and nature, we must first become mindful. Appreciate your surroundings, your blessings, your people. Share stories. Build memories. Invest in simplicity and presence. The past generations lived with less but gained more. Let’s be inspired by them and strive for a life of meaning, gratitude, and connection.